Joyful Fellowship - Growing in Grace Together

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2026 – MR GARETH McINTYRE

READING: PHILIPPIANS 1 VERSES 1 TO 11

JOYFUL FELLOWSHIP – GROWING IN GRACE TOGETHER

 

One of the themes, if not the chief theme of Philippians, is joy in Christ. Paul writes this word joy or rejoice or some form of the word some 14 times in just four chapters. Many point to Philippians 4 verse 4 as the key verse where it says “rejoice in the  Lord always. And again I say rejoice.” For many people they consider joy to be something that is solely tied to their circumstances. They think ‘if only my circumstances would change, then joy would suddenly arrive. If only this day was over, I could have joy. If only I could get this month of February out of the way. If only my car was fixed. If only my health was better. If only this pressure was lifted and this thorn removed, I could have joy.’ But whenever we come to this letter the book of Philippians we find the true source and the true meaning of true joy which is joy in Jesus Christ. You see joy is supernatural. Joy is something only known by believers because it is a gift from God. In Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23 we read of joy as a fruit of the spirit. 1 Peter 1 verses 8 and 9 tells us that joy is received through faith. John 15 verse 11 tells us that joy is made full in Christ. This joy that we're talking about this morning is lasting. This joy endures. Joy is not dependent at all in what is going on around us, but rather joy is dependent upon what is going on inside of us. Joy is an inward rejoicing in our salvation no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in. And here as Paul writes this lovely letter, it's around the year 61 AD and the apostle is found in a place where some might think that joy should be absent or impossible. Here Paul is found imprisoned under house arrest awaiting trial before Caesar in Rome. Here, as Paul picks up his pen, you could only imagine those chains are rattling. He's surrounded by walls and being guarded by a Roman soldier with the possibility of death looming. Here, Paul's tomorrow is unknown and his future is uncertain. But here in this letter, we find no bitterness, no despair, no desperation or demand for rescue. Instead, we find only joy. Here we see gratitude for God's grace. We sense a love  in his heart with an unwavering confidence in God, knowing that “he who began a good work will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Here in prison, the apostle’s eyes are not focused on his chains, but they're fixed on Christ. And as he writes this beautiful letter, he shows us the great truth this morning that joy rooted in Jesus Christ cannot be chained. In the opening verses of this letter, Paul really lays bare his heart as he shows us his deep love and affection for this church at Philippi. Paul held dearly this group of believers to his heart. This was the first church that Paul established in Europe in response to his preaching roughly 10 years before he wrote this lovely letter. If you were to cast your mind back to Acts chapter 16, you'll remember how Timothy and Silas joined Paul in a second missionary journey around the year 51 AD. And you'll read there how the Holy Spirit forbid them to preach in certain regions, but instead God directed them to Macedonia through a vision in Acts 16 verses 9 and 10 “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that God had called us for to preach the gospel onto them.” And that's how the gospel set its feet in Europe for the very first time. People were saved. And the church at Philippi to whom this letter was addressed was established. In chapter 1 verses 1 to 11 you'll see how God creates and how he sustains gospel fellowship. This is a fellowship that grows believers into mature Christlike, fruitful people all for his glory. As we look at these verses together, we're going to see not only what Paul prays and thanks God for, but we're going to see what God desires to cultivate in us, his church today.

 

Look with me firstly at these verses and you'll see the foundation of this joyful fellowship. This letter begins in verse one by showing us Jesus Christ, the foundation of the Philippian church. Here in verse one, in Paul's opening words, he identifies himself and Timothy as “servants of Jesus Christ.” Here, Paul didn't need to defend his apostleship by writing Paul an apostle like he did whenever he wrote to the church at Galatia or the church at Corinth who constantly caused him much grief. But here in Paul's opening words, he identifies himself as a servant, as a slave of Jesus Christ. Here Paul models Christ's humility, teaching these Philippian believers that true greatness comes from self-sacrifice and not from status. It reminds us that humility is essential for faithful service. Proverbs 15 verse 33 reminds us “humility comes before honour.” You see Paul even though he was an apostle, he lived as a servant. The word servant implies total ownership, total surrender, and total obedience to Christ. Paul sets this example to encourage these believers to always embrace humility that will manifest itself in unity and joyful Christian service. I wonder this morning, is our lives marked by this humility that Paul shows? Do we put others first? Do we serve willingly? Do we submit to authority? Do we readily forgive? Do we look for unnoticed ways to serve God by serving others? To give, to help, to encourage, not when people are watching, but whenever no one else sees but God. Not only does Paul call himself a servant of Christ, but if you look there again at verse number one, you'll see how he addresses a people who were saints in Christ. He writes “to all the saints in Christ who are at Philippi.” These people weren't saints because they lived at Philippi. It doesn't matter where you live - that will never make you a saint. A saint isn't someone that you see in a stained glass window. It isn't some status declared by anyone because of some great service or achievement. No, the God of heaven alone makes a person a saint. These people were called saints simply because of their foundation. Verse 1 tells us they were in Christ. This word saint is a New Testament word that is used to describe every Christian. A saint is a called out one. It's a holy one. One separated by God. 1 Peter 2 verse 9 puts it like this. “Called out of darkness into God's light.” You see, none of us are born saints. As Psalm 51 verse 1 reminds us, we are all born in sin. We all inherit Adam's fallen nature. As 1 Corinthians tells us, “for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” And a saint is someone called out of a life of sin and is now in union with Jesus Christ. And if you're here this morning and you're saved, you're a saint. And with all other believers, you have a common bond. And that bond is grace. And because of God's grace, you will know something about this supernatural, this enduring, and this lasting joy because your foundation is in Christ. And if you're here this morning or you're listening to this message online and you're not a Christian, you too can place your life on the only firm foundation who is Jesus Christ. To do that, you need to accept you're a sinner. You need to repent of your sin and turn away from all of it. You need to believe that Jesus Christ, whenever he died on the cross, he took your place and he bore your punishment. And if you come to Christ this morning, he will save your soul. He will forgive your sin and your new identity will be in Christ. And the work God begins in your life, he promises through his word that he will complete. The people Paul was writing to included bishops and deacons who were just the people in charge with the oversight of this congregation. This church here at Philippi was made up of many different types of people, different ages, different backgrounds, different temperaments, different personalities and interests. But through the gospel, they were now one people in Christ. The first convert we are told in Acts 16 was a wealthy lady called Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened and both she and her family get saved. A short time later, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for exercising a demon possessed slave girl. And whilst Paul and Silas were in prison, God delivered them at midnight through an earthquake. And Paul and Silas had the joy of pointing the Philippian jailer to Jesus Christ whose family also gets saved and became members of this church in Philippi. And that's exactly what God can do. He can take any person from any place with any background. He can open their eyes. He can save their soul and he can make them saints. Paul says in verse two, "Grace and peace from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." This was just a common greeting that Paul used reminding us that we must know the grace of God before we can know the peace of God. This is the foundation of this Philippian church.

 

But notice secondly, there's a thankfulness in this joyful partnership. Paul here as he writes this letter from a cold prison cell, his warm heart is bubbling over as he reminisces about his friends back in Philippi. He writes here in verse 3 ”I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Every time Paul thought about these believers, he couldn't help but lift up his heart and thank God for God's work of grace in the lives of these people. These Philippian believers had helped Paul so often and supported him in his ministry. But notice here, Paul doesn't give the credit to the believers. It says he thanks God. You see, by thanking God, he acknowledges that all  fruitfulness, all generosity, and all perseverance is not a result of human achievement, but as a result of God's ongoing work in the lives of his people. Paul goes on to write in verse number 4, “always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my request with joy.” Here you see the faithfulness of Paul's praying. He says, "Always”. Paul brought these believers before God in prayer faithfully and frequently. You see, for Paul, prayer wasn't a burden for his brothers and sisters. Prayer wasn't a dread or it wasn't a chore. For Paul, prayer was a delight. Even amidst difficult circumstances, whenever Paul pondered the memories of these people, it caused him to pray with joy. It reminds us this morning that our prayers should be shaped by gratitude and thankfulness, not shaped by perfect circumstances. Paul's thankfulness shows us this morning that through prayer, our relationships can be strengthened, offering our prayers for one another, delighting in God's saving and sanctifying work in each of our lives. Also, you'll notice Paul doesn't single out any favorites in this fellowship. He says, "Always in every prayer of mine for you all." Paul remembered every single one of them. He thanked God for every one of them. The ones who were easy to love and those ones who were maybe a little more difficult. Now Paul goes on to show us the reason for his thankfulness in verse 5. Look at it. He writes, "For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." You see, Paul was thankful for these believers for their support practically, physically, materially. Both whilst he was in prison and whilst he was with them in person, these believers showered him with generosity and always showed a concern for Paul's well-being. Through these saints at Philippi, God always met Paul's need. In 2 Corinthians, Paul made mention of the generosity of the churches in Macedonia and by that he was referring to this church at Philippi. In Philippians 4 verse 14 Paul writes, "Notwithstanding, ye have well done that ye did communicate with my affliction." And by that, Paul was referring to practical sharing as well as spiritual. Whenever Paul went to prison here, these believers didn't cut him off. They didn't cast them to the side and forget about him. No. Look at verse 5 where it says “they fellowshipped with him.” They shared with him. They laboured with him. From the first day they heard the gospel until now, they remained faithful. You see, even though they were separated by distance and by circumstances, they remained fully committed and deeply united in gospel partnership. That's the foundation of this Philippian church. That's the thankfulness that we see in the hearts of the people in this Philippian church.

 

But notice thirdly, there is a confidence in this joyful fellowship. Whenever Paul prayed and thanked God for these believers, his confidence wasn't placed in the individuals, but his confidence was placed in Christ, the foundation and the builder of the church. The story is told of a town that once built a bridge to connect two communities together that were divided by a river. This bridge project took quite some time to complete. During the build, different workers came at different times. Some laid the foundations, others raised the beams, some of them tarmacked the roads. Many never saw that bridge completed, but everyone trusted the same engineer. Years later, people crossed that bridge every day without fear. Not because the workers were perfect, but because the one who designed the bridge was faithful. And you know, that's how Paul saw this church at Philippi. He didn't look at their faith and worry about whether or not they could somehow hold it together or no. Instead, Paul writes in verse number 6, "Being confident in this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Paul could rejoice. Paul could have confidence and gospel fellowship because the God who started the work will complete the work. I'm sure all of us here this morning can think of many things that they've started and never completed. I know I can. The only thing I ever seem to finish is my dinner. Maybe things that we've had an interest in and through time we've just set it to the side. Maybe books that we've opened for a while and never finished. But isn't it wonderful this morning to be able to have confidence in God, knowing that even whenever we falter, he is faithful in our times of doubt, he continues to work. Times when we slow the pace and maybe become apathetic, his love for us and his work in us, it never changes. Remember what Paul said to the Corinthians in chapter 1 verse 8 "Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ through times of uncertainty and obscurity. Times whenever you feel like just giving up and throwing in the towel. Times whenever you feel like the walls are closing in around us, remember God, our father, he wraps his loving arms around us and he says, "I will see you through." You see, God will continue to work in each of our lives. Some doors he will open and others he will close. God will rule and he will overrule. He will lead and he will guide and direct until our completion in the day of Jesus Christ. That's not the day of our death. But that's the day whenever we stand before God, not only with a perfected soul, but with a resurrected body. That's the foundation of this Philippian church. That's the thankfulness that is found in the heart of the people in this Philippian church. That's the confidence that is placed in God who built this Philippian church.

 

But notice fourthly, there's a connection within this joyful fellowship. The apostle Paul, I'm sure we can all agree, was a very intelligent man. He was a man with great knowledge. Whenever you read his letters, you can see that how he can just deal with extremely difficult situations. He just seems to be able to take problems and with wisdom just tear them apart. But although Paul was a man with great intelligence, better still, Paul was a man with a tremendous heart. He had a heart and a and a deep affection that connected him for Christ's mission. You see, a head full of information this morning will profit you very little if it is without heart. Paul writes here in verse number 7 “even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you (where?) in my heart.” Isn't that a wonderful place to carry your Christian friends? Not just in your phone contacts but carrying them in your heart? Paul was saying here to these believers, "My heart aches for you. My heart yearns for you." He had a deep burden and a deep affection that really connected him for gospel fellowship and for Christ's mission. Paul's imprisonment would have been a source of great shame at this time in the ancient world. Nevertheless, Paul would have been encouraged. So encouraged knowing that these believers were standing prayerfully and practically right by his side. And you know, Paul never forgot it. Even though Paul was restricted in many ways during this imprisonment, nothing could stop him and nothing would stop him from doing the greatest thing you and I can do for anyone, and that's praying for our brothers and sisters. You see, Paul never looked upon these chains as isolation. He looked upon them as shared mission and they remained united. They remained connected even when circumstances were difficult. Paul knew that whenever he was suffering for doing that which was right, he was participating in God's grace and God's mission, not abandoned by God. That's why he goes on to write in verse 7, "In as much as both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace." These people were connected because the love of God was overflowing in their hearts. Sinclair Ferguson writes “Paul and these Philippian believers shared a common bond and that bond was grace. Jesus Christ had bound them to himself in love. A love so amazing and so divine that the only appropriate response for Paul was to give us all to Jesus Christ.  Having done that, he wanted to love everyone and anyone else who had experienced this same grace and responded in the same way.” Paul wasn't tickling any ears here as he pulls back the curtain of his heart and expresses his affection and his love for these believers. These words were genuine. So much so that he writes in verse 8, “for God is my record. How I greatly long after you all in the bowels or the affections of Jesus Christ.” Paul says, I long for you. He said, I yearn for you. That was sincere. That was a wonderful expression of his affection. But look again at verse 8. This wasn't a love that was shaped by human effort. This was a love that was shaped by the bowels or the affections of Jesus Christ. Paul's love flowed from Christ and it flowed over all the saints, not just personal preference. You see, whenever we depend on ourselves and our emotions and our love fades like it so easily does, that's when conflicts can arise. But whenever we anchor our love in Christ, he will he will sustain unity and keep us connected in the gospel. That's the foundation of this Philippian church. That's the thankfulness that is found in the heart of these people in the Philippian church. That's the confidence. This is the connection.

 

But notice lastly, there's a prayer in this joyful fellowship. Paul writes in verse number 9 ”And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more.” These Philippian believers had so much love for Paul, but Paul prayed that their love would continue to grow. You see, it doesn't matter this morning how much love you think you have in your heart. There is always room for more. Paul emphasizes the need for a continuous progress in the lives of God's people. He prays for a constant growth and a and a continuous cultivating towards Christlikeness. And only you can answer that this morning. Are you becoming more fruitful? Are you growing in your faith? Is your love growing for one another? Are you praying for your brothers and sisters? Only you can answer that truly this morning. If you planted a little fruit tree in your garden, and after maybe a year it had a few green leaves, you might be pleased. But then after a few years, if its trunk was still thin, if its branches was still short and no fruit in the tree, you wouldn't say, "At least it's alive." You would know that there's something desperately wrong because a healthy tree is supposed to grow. Its roots should deepen, its branches should spread out, and each season it should produce more fruit. And isn't Christian love much like that through prayer, through obedience, and Christ's work in us? Our love should grow deeper and stronger and be more fruitful. Cultivate it towards Christlikeness. We can often hear it being said that ‘love is blind.’ But here Paul didn't pray for a blind and shallow love. No, Paul prayed at the end of verse 9 that this love would abound more and more. What does it say? “In knowledge and all judgment.” Paul prayed for a love that was shaped by God's word and a love that reflected Christ's character. knowing how to show love in specific situations. A love that was rooted in truth and shaped by wisdom. Paul goes on in verse 10 to explain the purpose of this knowledge and discernment. He writes “that you may approve things that are excellent and be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” Sincere means unmixed. It denotes transparency of heart. A heart that is pure and unmixed desires. It speaks of our lives inwardly, without offense. It literally means without stumbling. It speaks of what is seen by others outwardly. Therefore, if we have inward purity, it should manifest itself by living blameless outwardly, living pure, moral, and transparent lives free from stumbling, always walking in sincerity and in the light of eternity in view. One commentator points out the word approve here means a method used to test something against a particular standard. And that standard, that goal is Christlikeness. Remember what Paul said to the Corinthians. “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” Becoming more like our Saviour as we stand before the mirror of his word. I love how FB Meyer illustrates it. He writes, "Just as the X-ray passes through the limb and shows up the fracture. So the X-ray of God's truth is always searching the heart.” The man who walks in sincerity and love does not mind meeting the searching rays of God's truth which shows that he is no hypocrite. Paul writes in verse 11, "Being filled with the fruit of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ." Paul not only prays that these Philippian believers would stand pure and blameless, but he prays that their lives would be full and overflowing with the fruit of righteousness. Those qualities are found in Galatians 5:es 22 and 23. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. All of which, as verse 11 says, comes through Jesus Christ. You see, a tree that is alive will bear fruit, but a tree that is filled with fruit that glorifies the gardener's care. The Lord himself said in John 15 verse 5, “whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” In John 15 verse 8, Jesus says again, “by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit.” If you went to a Christian concert, you will always see stage lighting. Those lights are bright. They're powerful and they're essential. But their purpose is not to draw their attention to themselves. Rather, their purpose is to shine towards the performer. To shine and to point others to the one who really matters. In the same way, the life of a Christian is much like that stage lighting. God does the work. He produces the fruit and deserves all of the glory. Our role this morning is to shine bright and to bring glory to the one who is worthy of all praise. That one is found here at the end of verse 11. It says, "Unto the glory and the praise of God." I'm sure many of us know the amazing story of Hugh Latimir and Nicholas Ridley. They were Protestant bishops in the 16th century England who were condemned for their faith during the reign of Queen Mary I. Imprisoned in Oxford, they were sentenced to death by burning at the stake for refusing to renounce their faith. On the day of their execution in 1555, it said as they walked to their destiny together, side by side with a great calmness and a great joy and remarkable courage. Rather than showing fear, they encouraged one another. As the fire was lit, Vladimir famous famously called out to Ridley, urging him to be brave and to trust God, declaring that their death would light a flame in England that would never be put out. Together they faced suffering, they with joy and with a confidence rooted in Jesus Christ, believing that their sacrifice served a greater purpose, they were martyed and became a powerful symbol of steadfast faith, hope, and courage in the face of persecution, inspiring future generations to stand firm in their convictions. Their joyful fellowship showed this world that joy rooted in Jesus Christ can never be chained. Like I said earlier, the first 11 verses of Philippians 1, we see not only what Paul prayed and thank God for, but we see what God desires to cultivate in us, his church today, that each one of us would be confident in God. Knowing that the work he has started in our lives, he promises to complete. that our love would grow more and more for our brothers and sisters, that our joy would be filling our hearts, and that we would be connected for Christ's mission. Growing in grace together, even whenever circumstances are difficult, knowing that our joy rooted in Jesus Christ can never be chained. each day striving towards that goal of Christlikeness and being like that fruit tree and harvest with our branches full and hanging low, fully loaded with good deeds that Christ has worked in us and through us remembering that all that we do is for the praise and for the glory of God and for Jesus' sake.